University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Quotes – 2026 UCLA Football Pro Day
QUOTES
2026 UCLA Football Pro Day
Los Angeles, Calif. (Wasserman Football Center)
March 11, 2026
Defensive Lineman Gary Smith
on how today’s Pro Day compared to the NFL Combine
“I was definitely comfortable. I got to see some of the guys. It was high-energy. I was just so happy to be back in Westwood and enjoying some of the time with the guys, competing and having fun with it.”
on if the NFL Combine was a more-nervous situation
“It was a little nerve-wracking knowing this is something that you’ve worked your whole life for and being there on the big stage. I was just trying to have fun with it. The guys were having fun with it. We were competing, but also rooting each other on.”
on his performance today
“I feel like I had a good performance. I put some good things on tape. Allowed scouts to see me change direction. I feel like it’s going to be pretty good for me.”
on what scouts most wanted to know about him
“They wanted to see my personality. They don’t get to really interact with us a lot. Getting to talk to them at the combine, they thought ‘You are a pretty cool cat.’ They thought I was one of those guys that’s just stand-offish. They just wanted to see me move and how I compete and move around. (I) did good in both of those.”
on when he felt that playing in the NFL was a real possibility
“It’s always been a dream as a kid. When it felt really attainable was probably the 2023 season with (Laiatu) Latu and Carl (Jones) and guys like that in that echelon. Being around guys like that knowing they’re on my team and they’re doing well, and I feel like I can do well too. Just seeing how everything has changed is a blessing.”
on if he leaned on Laiatu Latu and Carl Jones for any advice
“I talked to all of those guys. Every guy who went to the East and West (Shrine Bowl), I talked to them about the combine, what they’re asked. All of them was giving me game and stuff like that. That’s what family is for. That’s what we’re here to do. Help each other.”
on what he’ll be doing leading up to the NFL Draft
“We’re definitely going to stay in shape and take care of our bodies. Just go meet people in different places. Go wherever I need to go and just have fun with it. You got to enjoy it. The hard part is really over. We’re just going to have fun.”
on what he brings to the team that drafts him
“I feel like I’m a tone setter. I’m a guy that, off the first play until the last play I’m going to go hard each and every play. I’m going to be a guy who is willing to learn, learn from vets and bring leadership. Anything they need me to do, I’m going to do it to my fullest.”
Running Back Anthony Frias II
on if this was his best opportunity to get exposure to NFL scouts
“Most definitely. Anytime you get a chance to showcase your abilities in front of NFL scouts, you’ve got to take advantage of those opportunities. I just made sure given the type of season I had and knowing that when I come out here I got eyes really on me, just making sure I capitalize on everything and what I’ve been training for these last couple of months. It was a great time. I loved today and I’m just excited for the future.”
on a scale of 1-10 how he feels today went
“I feel like it was a 10. I’m completely blessed. I’m happy. I hit the marks that I set myself out for with the available official times that I have. Still waiting to hear on my 40, obviously. My vert, my broad being 10 feet was really good for me. Hitting 30 on bench was crazy, so I’m really happy I hit 30 today.”
on if there’s extra pressure on Pro Day when you don’t participate in the NFL Combine
“You could say that. I just think with my life and everybody that came out here today – I’ve felt pressure throughout my whole life, so I’m used to it. You definitely get one shot (at Pro Day) compared to when you go to the combine, you might have another shot to make up if you had a bad day or weren’t feeling it. You’ve really got to lock in and hit it on the bullseye if you weren’t able to (go to the) combine.”
on how his history of fighting for playing time helped today
“It makes me dig deeper whenever I’m tired or training. It definitely gives me a chip on my shoulder. I feel like I could have showed more throughout the year. It’s fine that it happened the way it happened. God’s plan. I’m blessed to be able to be healthy and come out today and do everything. I was just happy today that now there were no excuses. I was able to go out there and control everything in my abilities.”
on how his time at UCLA has impacted him
“Tremendous impact. I’ll forever love UCLA. I’ll be back as an alumni coming to games. All the brotherhood and friendships and even the coaches and the relationships that I’ve been able to build with them is deeper than blood. I really just feel blessed that I was able to get the opportunity to come here. Being able to be from California, playing at UCLA, my parents were able to come to a lot more games. It’s been a great life. I love Kansas State and I have nothing bad to say about Kansas State, but I just love UCLA and I’m a Bruin forever.”
Offensive Lineman Garrett DiGiorgio
on how Pro Day compared to the NFL Combine
“Obviously, Indianapolis was just a bigger stage for us as athletes. It was really cool being here with the guys. I think that uplifted all of us as athletes and encouraged us to try to test better.”
on if he felt more comfortable at Pro Day
“One hundred percent. I’ve been here for five years at UCLA and these are the guys that I played with last year. We put blood, sweat and tears into this together. It was cool to be able to come out here and try to test out to get to that next level.”
on his performance today
“I only had two tests in terms of the shuttles. Everything else I did at the combine. But other than that, I feel like I tested very well. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in April.”
on if this is a relaxing or nervous time for him
“I’d say a mix of both. I’m not going to sit back and relax. This is the time to get ready for rookie minicamp. I just have to put each step in front of the other and prep myself for stepping into that next big stage as an NFL football player.”
on if he sought out advice prior to the NFL Combine
“I talked to Sean Rhyan and Jon Gaines because they both went to the combine. They both work with my agent. I feel like they gave me pretty good insight in terms of what to expect for informals, the meetings there with the scouts and anything else in terms of medicals and just knowing what I was going into. It was going to be a progress, a series of events and you just have to step into it with the right mindset.”
on what was the biggest thing that scouts wanted to know about him
“We really just talked about my versatility a lot in terms of being a swing player at the next level. They talked to me about possibly getting ready to play center and take some snaps inside, too. That’s going to be my role going into the league and that’s what I going to keep me in the league a long time is playing multiple positions. Besides trying to learn some of their plays and their offense, we just talked about football, spitballed and got to learn about one another. I appreciated meeting every single one of them.”
on what his time at UCLA has meant to him
“I’ve reflected every year that I’ve been here. It’s an amazing campus. There are amazing people on this campus. There are so many people that pour into this program. I’m excited seeing the new coach, Coach Chesney, in here too. It was great seeing the guys coming in last week. It’s been a long last two and a half months. I haven’t had time to reflect too much, but being able to come back into Westwood last Monday was like a breath of fresh air.”
on how all the coaching changes during his UCLA career will benefit him going into the NFL
“It was definitely a topic of talk with the scouts and just how I’ve experienced four different offensive line coaches, three different coordinators. I think it’s just going to prep me to be able to change to what systems I move into. Regardless of what team I go to, I feel like I’ve been thrown different schemes and different ideas and I feel like I can spit back that information pretty well based on everything I’ve been through at UCLA.”
2026 UCLA Football Pro Day
Los Angeles, Calif. (Wasserman Football Center)
March 11, 2026
Defensive Lineman Gary Smith
on how today’s Pro Day compared to the NFL Combine
“I was definitely comfortable. I got to see some of the guys. It was high-energy. I was just so happy to be back in Westwood and enjoying some of the time with the guys, competing and having fun with it.”
on if the NFL Combine was a more-nervous situation
“It was a little nerve-wracking knowing this is something that you’ve worked your whole life for and being there on the big stage. I was just trying to have fun with it. The guys were having fun with it. We were competing, but also rooting each other on.”
on his performance today
“I feel like I had a good performance. I put some good things on tape. Allowed scouts to see me change direction. I feel like it’s going to be pretty good for me.”
on what scouts most wanted to know about him
“They wanted to see my personality. They don’t get to really interact with us a lot. Getting to talk to them at the combine, they thought ‘You are a pretty cool cat.’ They thought I was one of those guys that’s just stand-offish. They just wanted to see me move and how I compete and move around. (I) did good in both of those.”
on when he felt that playing in the NFL was a real possibility
“It’s always been a dream as a kid. When it felt really attainable was probably the 2023 season with (Laiatu) Latu and Carl (Jones) and guys like that in that echelon. Being around guys like that knowing they’re on my team and they’re doing well, and I feel like I can do well too. Just seeing how everything has changed is a blessing.”
on if he leaned on Laiatu Latu and Carl Jones for any advice
“I talked to all of those guys. Every guy who went to the East and West (Shrine Bowl), I talked to them about the combine, what they’re asked. All of them was giving me game and stuff like that. That’s what family is for. That’s what we’re here to do. Help each other.”
on what he’ll be doing leading up to the NFL Draft
“We’re definitely going to stay in shape and take care of our bodies. Just go meet people in different places. Go wherever I need to go and just have fun with it. You got to enjoy it. The hard part is really over. We’re just going to have fun.”
on what he brings to the team that drafts him
“I feel like I’m a tone setter. I’m a guy that, off the first play until the last play I’m going to go hard each and every play. I’m going to be a guy who is willing to learn, learn from vets and bring leadership. Anything they need me to do, I’m going to do it to my fullest.”
Running Back Anthony Frias II
on if this was his best opportunity to get exposure to NFL scouts
“Most definitely. Anytime you get a chance to showcase your abilities in front of NFL scouts, you’ve got to take advantage of those opportunities. I just made sure given the type of season I had and knowing that when I come out here I got eyes really on me, just making sure I capitalize on everything and what I’ve been training for these last couple of months. It was a great time. I loved today and I’m just excited for the future.”
on a scale of 1-10 how he feels today went
“I feel like it was a 10. I’m completely blessed. I’m happy. I hit the marks that I set myself out for with the available official times that I have. Still waiting to hear on my 40, obviously. My vert, my broad being 10 feet was really good for me. Hitting 30 on bench was crazy, so I’m really happy I hit 30 today.”
on if there’s extra pressure on Pro Day when you don’t participate in the NFL Combine
“You could say that. I just think with my life and everybody that came out here today – I’ve felt pressure throughout my whole life, so I’m used to it. You definitely get one shot (at Pro Day) compared to when you go to the combine, you might have another shot to make up if you had a bad day or weren’t feeling it. You’ve really got to lock in and hit it on the bullseye if you weren’t able to (go to the) combine.”
on how his history of fighting for playing time helped today
“It makes me dig deeper whenever I’m tired or training. It definitely gives me a chip on my shoulder. I feel like I could have showed more throughout the year. It’s fine that it happened the way it happened. God’s plan. I’m blessed to be able to be healthy and come out today and do everything. I was just happy today that now there were no excuses. I was able to go out there and control everything in my abilities.”
on how his time at UCLA has impacted him
“Tremendous impact. I’ll forever love UCLA. I’ll be back as an alumni coming to games. All the brotherhood and friendships and even the coaches and the relationships that I’ve been able to build with them is deeper than blood. I really just feel blessed that I was able to get the opportunity to come here. Being able to be from California, playing at UCLA, my parents were able to come to a lot more games. It’s been a great life. I love Kansas State and I have nothing bad to say about Kansas State, but I just love UCLA and I’m a Bruin forever.”
Offensive Lineman Garrett DiGiorgio
on how Pro Day compared to the NFL Combine
“Obviously, Indianapolis was just a bigger stage for us as athletes. It was really cool being here with the guys. I think that uplifted all of us as athletes and encouraged us to try to test better.”
on if he felt more comfortable at Pro Day
“One hundred percent. I’ve been here for five years at UCLA and these are the guys that I played with last year. We put blood, sweat and tears into this together. It was cool to be able to come out here and try to test out to get to that next level.”
on his performance today
“I only had two tests in terms of the shuttles. Everything else I did at the combine. But other than that, I feel like I tested very well. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in April.”
on if this is a relaxing or nervous time for him
“I’d say a mix of both. I’m not going to sit back and relax. This is the time to get ready for rookie minicamp. I just have to put each step in front of the other and prep myself for stepping into that next big stage as an NFL football player.”
on if he sought out advice prior to the NFL Combine
“I talked to Sean Rhyan and Jon Gaines because they both went to the combine. They both work with my agent. I feel like they gave me pretty good insight in terms of what to expect for informals, the meetings there with the scouts and anything else in terms of medicals and just knowing what I was going into. It was going to be a progress, a series of events and you just have to step into it with the right mindset.”
on what was the biggest thing that scouts wanted to know about him
“We really just talked about my versatility a lot in terms of being a swing player at the next level. They talked to me about possibly getting ready to play center and take some snaps inside, too. That’s going to be my role going into the league and that’s what I going to keep me in the league a long time is playing multiple positions. Besides trying to learn some of their plays and their offense, we just talked about football, spitballed and got to learn about one another. I appreciated meeting every single one of them.”
on what his time at UCLA has meant to him
“I’ve reflected every year that I’ve been here. It’s an amazing campus. There are amazing people on this campus. There are so many people that pour into this program. I’m excited seeing the new coach, Coach Chesney, in here too. It was great seeing the guys coming in last week. It’s been a long last two and a half months. I haven’t had time to reflect too much, but being able to come back into Westwood last Monday was like a breath of fresh air.”
on how all the coaching changes during his UCLA career will benefit him going into the NFL
“It was definitely a topic of talk with the scouts and just how I’ve experienced four different offensive line coaches, three different coordinators. I think it’s just going to prep me to be able to change to what systems I move into. Regardless of what team I go to, I feel like I’ve been thrown different schemes and different ideas and I feel like I can spit back that information pretty well based on everything I’ve been through at UCLA.”